Tsar Nicholas II Flashcards
Popular discontent, Weak leadership, Economic collapse
What economic issues were exacerbated by the war in Petrograd?
Severe food shortages, rampant inflation, widespread unemployment. These issues contributed to public unrest and dissatisfaction with the government.
What did an Okhrana report in January 1917 warn about?
‘Widespread discontent due to food shortages and rising prices’. This report indicated that the regime recognized the potential for public frustration to escalate.
What events erupted as workers and soldiers turned against the government?
Strikes and protests. These were driven by desperation due to economic conditions.
Who were the key groups that felt alienated due to political repression?
The intelligentsia and middle classes. Their alienation was partly due to the Tsar’s reliance on Rasputin.
What did Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich warn about in 1916?
‘The influence of Rasputin is destroying the prestige of the monarchy.’ This statement reflects the growing disillusionment among the elite.
What was the sentiment expressed in soldiers’ letters from the Eastern Front?
‘We are dying for nothing, while the Tsar and his generals sit in comfort’. This illustrates the erosion of morale among the Eastern front due to military failures.
What were some of his key political missteps?
Refusal to share power, dismissive attitude towards reform, assumed personal command of army in 1915 (tied him directly to military failures).
What shows his detachment from the suffering of ordinary Russians?
inability to address food shortages or suppress dissent effectively.
What does a Petrograd Soviet report in February 1917 state?
“The people are starving, and the Tsar does nothing.” This detachment led to the army’s refusal to suppress the February Revolution.
What did Paul Milyukov’s 1916 Duma speech accuse the government of?
‘Stupidity or treason’. This underscored the erosion of support among the very classes that had once upheld the monarchy, and in turn left him isolated when protests erupted.
By February 1917, the Tsar had lost the support of who?
The army, the political elite, and the masses. This left him with no defenders when revolution erupted.
What did WW1 shatter?
Russia’s transport networks, leading to catastrophic food shortages in cities.
What did a Petrograd City Duma report in January 1917 state?
“The city is on the brink of starvation due to the collapse of the transport system.” Workers, already suffering from inflation and unemployment, reached their limit.
What did a factory workers diary entry from February 1917 state?
“We have no bread, no work, and no hope. We must take to the streets.” The strikes that followed were not just political protests but acts of survival.
